John August Swanson papers and artwork

John August Swanson is a Los Angeles-based artist specializing in the portrayal of biblical stories and scenes from everyday life. He was born on January 11, 1938, in Los Angeles. Both of his parents were recent immigrants to California when he was born; his mother was from Mexico and his father from Sweden.

Swanson’s art takes many shapes. He paints in oil, watercolor, acrylic as well mixed media, and is an experienced printmaker. The Morning Suite (1979) aptly demonstrates his printmaking versatility as it contains etchings, engravings, lithographs, and serigraphs (screen prints). Many of Swanson’s paintings have been adapted into limited-edition serigraphs, a medium he has championed. These serigraphs necessitate an advanced level of technical acumen and typically feature 30 to 60 separate colors, each of which require a separate stencil drawn by the artist. Swanson’s elaborate serigraph process results in pieces that have unique textures and colors that are characteristic of his mastery of this medium. The Procession (2007) is the most elaborate of Swanson’s serigraphs; it contains 89 separate colors. Swanson worked closely with master printer James F. Butterfield II of Aurora Serigraphics to produce many of his serigraphs, but with Butterfield’s passing in January of 2011, Swanson no longer makes serigraphs. Many of the pieces he produces now are paintings that have been modified into limited-edition giclées (high-quality, fine art prints produced on professional-grade inkjet printers).

While Swanson’s serigraphs are often intricately developed and are quite sophisticated in their design, they convey stories that are meant to be easily understood. In November of 1971, Swanson traveled to Mexico for five weeks and was inspired by the art and the people there. At this moment, he decided to use his art to tell stories in a linear approach. Overall his style is rather eclectic. He attributes as his influences the "imagery of Islamic and medieval miniatures, Russian iconography, the color of Latin American folk art, and the tradition of Mexican muralists” (artist's biography; box 1, folder 1).

The subject matters that Swanson treats most often in his art are biblical stories, scenes from live performances (e.g., circus or theatre), and scenes from everyday life. He draws inspiration from both Old and New Testaments, but has a particular interest in retelling events in the life of Christ. He also portrays many mundane or menial tasks as serious and positive actions. In his art, Swanson praises the virtue of doing one’s best, regardless of their position. He writes, “The woman who irons her family’s clothes has as much dignity and worth as the statesman” (artist's biography; box 1, folder 1). There is also a strong social component to Swanson’s art; he has repeatedly stated that his art is his most social act.

Swanson has received considerable recognition for his art, including the Doctor of Humane Letters degree from California Lutheran University (1996), the Mother Teresa Award (2005), the Dean's Medal from Emory University, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Award (2012). His art is held in a number of prestigious collections, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, National Museum of American Art, National Air and Space Museum, as well as the Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard University’s Fogg Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Bibliothèque Nationale, and the Vatican Museum’s Collection of Modern Religious Art. Candler School of Theology, Emory University, has the largest collection of his work on public display.